August 16, 2011 – 7 Night Alaska Sailing

[aunursa]

What is everyones plan as soon as you get on the ship??? Have lunch, hit the pool, relax on deck???

* Have lunch
* Try to get my in-laws' dining time changed to First Seating
* Explore the ship
* Check out our stateroom and unpack
* Meet & Greet

Which is a better choice for the first meal ... Parrot Cay or Beach Blanket Buffet? Which one will be less crowded?

 

[mellers]

There is a very good deal for Whistler up on Groupon--it gives you a hotel night, steak dinner for two, and rides for two on the gondola for $299.

http://t.livingsocial.com/track/b_9...el?msdc_id=223&ref=VANDeal072011_57_4182email

 

[msnoble]

What is everyones plan as soon as you get on the ship??? Have lunch, hit the pool, relax on deck???

Well, I figure I will send DH and the kids up to Deck 9 to score a table near the goofy pool, and then the kids will likely grab food from the counters near the Mickey Pool, DH likely will get something at BBB. While they are doing that I will be popping by Guest Services to see which tastings we can pre-register for, and to take care of a few other details. If it's warm enough my kids will probably swim a bit, we'll check out our room (so excited to a have a verandah for the first time!!), then we'll do a quick check-in at the Lab and the Edge. By then it will be close to 3, so we'll head to Diversions to meet up with all you wonderful folks, hit the muster drill, and then it's time to get ready for dinner (we have first seating). Not sure if we'll do the Sail Away party or not--the kids were kind of underwhelmed on our 1st cruise, though DH hasn't seen it yet. I do like to watch us pulling out of port from Deck 10, and am hoping to get a photo of us traveling under the bridge there in Vancouver so I guess I will have to fit that in somewhere...

Can you tell I've been thinking about this a bit?!

 

[Inkmahm]

Which is a better choice for the first meal ... Parrot Cay or Beach Blanket Buffet? Which one will be less crowded?

Parrot Cay is my choice. It has the same food as BBB and is also buffet style for the lunch that day. The difference is having a nice table with table cloth and silverware plus waiters to get your drinks for you. It is less crowded and quieter in Parrot Cay, too.

 

[siburdue]

When we first get on the ship are we allowed access to our room to drop off stuff? We will have my DH's CPAP machine, plus a small cooler with his insulin and some diet pepsi for me. I would really like to NOT have to carry this stuff around the ship if at all possible.

If we can go to our room, our plans would be to drop off this stuff, go to Parrot Cay for lunch and then the group meet.

Another question - when doing the online check-in, I couldn't find a way to enter our RewardsCards from Disney - do we have to do that on board? We have two cards to put on our account.

Thanks

PS - Feeling better about the FE exchange, while taking care of mom I got out of the house for a bit and found what I felt was the perfect gift for the kids/tweens/teens! Yippee! Also, TA called today to say our packet arrived

 

[lmben]

When we first get on the ship are we allowed access to our room to drop off stuff? We will have my DH's CPAP machine, plus a small cooler with his insulin and some diet pepsi for me. I would really like to NOT have to carry this stuff around the ship if at all possible.

That depends on what time you board. Usually, you are not allowed to have access to your room until around 1:30 or 2pm. If you go to Parrot Cay, you will have more room to stow your carry on's around your table.

 

[msnoble]

Another question - when doing the online check-in, I couldn't find a way to enter our RewardsCards from Disney - do we have to do that on board? We have two cards to put on our account.

From what I remember from my last time on DCL (Feb 2010) you have to present your rewards card at Guest Services to have it applied to your account. I am not sure if you can take care of that during the initial check-in at the port, but I am going to play it safe and have mine applied once we board the ship.

And as Imben said, you won't be able to gain access to your room until 1:30 at the earliest. Even then, your bags may not arrive until as late as 5 or so.

 

[dkmjgal]

What is everyones plan as soon as you get on the ship??? Have lunch, hit the pool, relax on deck???

Also can someone remind me what time is the meet and great on the ship???

We will have lunch at Parrot Cay...depending on the weather possibly sit by the pool for a bit...check out our room...stop by Guest services to take care of a few things...meet at Diversions...sail away party...pictures of us going under the bidge and then relax until dinner. This is the
1st time we are doing late seating and I think I'm looking forward to it. We've always seemed so rushed on our prior cruises trying to get to 1st seating so I'm hoping that late seating allows us a little more relaxation time.

 

[disneymath]

kgsmith ... we received our ABD package too! (In the midst of all the post funeral "there's so much to do, but what do we do now?", it couldn't have come at a better time! It's funny how Disney seems to get it right ... even without trying!)

As for our first day on the ship ... I'm thinking we'll be doing lots of exploring! Probably lunch at Parrot Key. Going to try to reserve a Palo Brunch. Might go swimming. Will probably check out the sail away part from Deck 10. We also have an ABD welcome reception at some point.

 

[Dancing Mickey's]

Just got off the phone with the TA yesterday and to make a long story short our son in college is going to join us on this cruise Looks like he does not have his football committments until late August so we call our TA who called Disney--a few times too--and we were able to add him. He does not know that I have been able to nor do the little kids...plan to surprise them. Not sure how yet

Our plans when we get on the boat is to EAT...my kids love to swim so we will probably end up grabbing something quick--I will probably go to BB as they have more options and I can sit by the pool with them. We like exploring too but will wait until later for most of that. DIS meet, muster, sail away, photo ops, and what ever else we can find. We have late seating (always have and love it) so we will see the Welcome Aboard Show, kids will skip out when they are ready and head to the kids clubs, EAT, catch a movie, see what is on the Navigator...I am trying realy hard to not over plan this vacation...RELAX is the plan...but there is so much to do

Getting close with FE gift exchange gifts. My plan is almost complete just need the finishing touches...and still waiting for my things to come in at Micheal's I basically have two weeks to get ready as I leave for a church girls camp for a week and then home a week before we leave...

Thanks so much for making the name tags...I have such a hard time remembering who is who, what dis name goes with what person,

 

[dkmjgal]

Just got off the phone with the TA yesterday and to make a long story short our son in college is going to join us on this cruise Looks like he does not have his football committments until late August so we call our TA who called Disney--a few times too--and we were able to add him. He does not know that I have been able to nor do the little kids...plan to surprise them. Not sure how yet

Our plans when we get on the boat is to EAT...my kids love to swim so we will probably end up grabbing something quick--I will probably go to BB as they have more options and I can sit by the pool with them. We like exploring too but will wait until later for most of that. DIS meet, muster, sail away, photo ops, and what ever else we can find. We have late seating (always have and love it) so we will see the Welcome Aboard Show, kids will skip out when they are ready and head to the kids clubs, EAT, catch a movie, see what is on the Navigator...I am trying realy hard to not over plan this vacation...RELAX is the plan...but there is so much to do

Getting close with FE gift exchange gifts. My plan is almost complete just need the finishing touches...and still waiting for my things to come in at Micheal's I basically have two weeks to get ready as I leave for a church girls camp for a week and then home a week before we leave...

Thanks so much for making the name tags...I have such a hard time remembering who is who, what dis name goes with what person,

That's AWESOME that your son will be able to join you!!!

 

[yogibigdog]

When we first get on the ship are we allowed access to our room to drop off stuff? We will have my DH's CPAP machine, plus a small cooler with his insulin and some diet pepsi for me. I would really like to NOT have to carry this stuff around the ship if at all possible.

Another question - when doing the online check-in, I couldn't find a way to enter our RewardsCards from Disney - do we have to do that on board? We have two cards to put on our account.

Staterooms are ready at 1:30 pm. You will have to have your Disney Visa reward credits applied onboard. Don't put more on your account than you are planning on using. You can go back and put more down as you go.

 

[pops711]

When we first get on the ship are we allowed access to our room to drop off stuff? We will have my DH's CPAP machine, plus a small cooler with his insulin and some diet pepsi for me. I would really like to NOT have to carry this stuff around the ship if at all possible.

My two cents when it comes to the CPAP (this is what I did on our last cruise) Is to keep the mask and the CPAP with me in my back pack and pack in my check in the hose, power cord ect... (the things that are more durable). as far as the ice chest I would probably pack in my check in bags the Diet Pepsi (put it in the last time you see your bags before the cabin) then as soon as you get to your bags to your cabin pop them in the frig. As far as the insulin my SIL when she travels, she has a small soft sided lunch pail that she uses and packs it with extra ice packs to make sure it stays cool. I do know that it would depend how much insulin you need to bring. my biggest piece of advice I can give you and everyone else is to limit what you carry on the ship. Depending what time you board you could be carrying it with you for a few hours.

Another question - when doing the online check-in, I couldn't find a way to enter our RewardsCards from Disney - do we have to do that on board? We have two cards to put on our account.

like was said before you add your rewards to your on board account on the ship. Also like said before DO NOT add to many reward points to your account. Once they have them, I have heard you can not get them back or it is atleast VERY hard to get them back. What my DW and I did on our last cruise we settaled the account every night until the rewards were gone then we just checked it every night to make sure we kept an eye on our spending and what was going on our credit card. Because with the KTTWK it is WAY to easy to spend money.

Another 2 cents about your reward card, is to double check that all the points are there a week or 2 before, Because we had a problem with the card during a DLR trip a few years ago and it was not fix until after we got home and we had to put things on our credit card that we wanted to pay for with points.

 

[yogibigdog]

If anyone is looking for Palo brunch keep checking there may be some openings for the day we are in Tracy Arm on the 18th.

 

[Mrs. Gumdrop]

as far as the ice chest I would probably pack in my check in bags the Diet Pepsi (put it in the last time you see your bags before the cabin) then as soon as you get to your bags to your cabin pop them in the frig.

I hate to contradict another member of our group, but PLEASE do not try to pack soda or bottled water in your checked baggage. The image below shows how those bags are handled -- stacked on top of each other and tossed around just like at the airport. I don't know about you but I would be pretty upset if my bag ends up soaked in liquid during transfer.

This quote is from the "Prohibited Items" section of the DCL FAQ:
"Alcohol is permitted on board. However, be aware that any fragile items (including bottled alcohol) must be hand-carried on board in a day bag and/or carry-on bag, the dimensions of which cannot exceed 22" wide, 14" high and 9" deep. Alcohol brought on board may not be consumed in any lounge or public area. Guests who arrive in the dining room with a bottle of champagne or wine that has been brought on board will be charged a corking fee of $20.00 per bottle.

Please be advised: Disney Cruise Line reserves the right to remove fragile items (including beverages) from luggage. In such cases, items will be stored and returned at the end of the voyage. Beverage containers are considered fragile and have previously caused damage in checked luggage. All fragile items must be transported inside carry-on luggage."

You can find the source here: http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faqs/prohibited-items/food-storage-containers/

 

[Aby]

If anyone is looking for Palo brunch keep checking there may be some openings for the day we are in Tracy Arm on the 18th.

Sadly I've been checking every day twice a day for brunch and no luck so far. I won't give up though!

Aby

 

[siburdue]

My two cents when it comes to the CPAP (this is what I did on our last cruise) Is to keep the mask and the CPAP with me in my back pack and pack in my check in the hose, power cord ect... (the things that are more durable).

As far as the insulin my SIL when she travels, she has a small soft sided lunch pail that she uses and packs it with extra ice packs to make sure it stays cool.

like was said before you add your rewards to your on board account on the ship. Also like said before DO NOT add to many reward points to your account. Once they have them, I have heard you can not get them back or it is atleast VERY hard to get them back. What my DW and I did on our last cruise we settaled the account every night until the rewards were gone then we just checked it every night to make sure we kept an eye on our spending and what was going on our credit card. Because with the KTTWK it is WAY to easy to spend money.

Another 2 cents about your reward card, is to double check that all the points are there a week or 2 before, Because we had a problem with the card during a DLR trip a few years ago and it was not fix until after we got home and we had to put things on our credit card that we wanted to pay for with points.

Thank you for all of these tips, they are very helpful! If we end up on our helicopter excursion, it will spend all of our disney rewards in one fell swoop, but on the other hand, if it is a no-go for weather reasons, then we would have too much on our account, so this is a dilemma for sure.

 

[siburdue]

I found out today when picking up the cruise packet from our TA that we are NOT booked on the bus from SeaTac to Vancouver as previously thought. I was pretty peeved, as she had indicated on our paperwork that we had transfers. It ended up the transfers were not from SeaTac airport, but from the Vancouver Airport to the ship, which is crazy, since we didn't book flights

Anyway, now we are thinking of driving to Vancouver and staying at a hotel Monday night the 15th. We would like a hotel where we can leave our car for the week, and get a reasonably priced taxi to the ship. I know, I'm not asking much I'm pretty sure there has been previous discussions regarding this, but I didn't pay any attention to them, as I thought we were set with the bus from SeaTac. Can anyone lead me to this information, so that I don't have to spend hours scouring the threads?

If you want to post the info to the boards or PM me, that would be great! Thank you so much.

 

[mellers]

I found out today when picking up the cruise packet from our TA that we are NOT booked on the bus from SeaTac to Vancouver as previously thought. I was pretty peeved, as she had indicated on our paperwork that we had transfers. It ended up the transfers were not from SeaTac airport, but from the Vancouver Airport to the ship, which is crazy, since we didn't book flights

Anyway, now we are thinking of driving to Vancouver and staying at a hotel Monday night the 15th. We would like a hotel where we can leave our car for the week, and get a reasonably priced taxi to the ship. I know, I'm not asking much I'm pretty sure there has been previous discussions regarding this, but I didn't pay any attention to them, as I thought we were set with the bus from SeaTac. Can anyone lead me to this information, so that I don't have to spend hours scouring the threads?

If you want to post the info to the boards or PM me, that would be great! Thank you so much.

Siburdue--try the Four Points Sheraton Vancouver Airport. They have a $189 "park and fly deal":

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/sher...3456_LPARK_CANADA_SOP_PARKANDSTAY_SI_3456_CAN

Plus, you'll be within walking distance of the SkyTrain and the Pre-Cruise meet at White Spot. I'm staying there.

As to a reasonably priced taxi, depending upon how many are in your group, we have reserved a 10-passenger van, and there are only 5 of us, plus luggage, so if you want to throw in with us, you could.

 

[mellers]

One other thought (for Siburdue)--you might want to consider taking a QuickShuttle from Sea-Tac, Seattle, or Bellingham (depending where you live) up the day before (technically, you can buy cruise transfers inexpensively for the day of the cruise, but I would not risk a border crossing on the same day.) They will drop you off at the airport (where you can get a shuttle to an airport hotel) or at most of the downtown hotels.

They pick up directly at the port when the cruise comes in and will take you back to Bellingham, Sea-Tac and Seattle